Method and system for packet transit through IPV4 networks connecting IPV6 nodes and LANs in a utility grid using tunneling technique

• US 20080186203A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Itron Networked Solutions, Inc. (Itron, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pace, James, Vaswani, Raj, Ramasatry, Jay
• Application Number:
  US11/807,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/00 Measuring or testing not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17306 Intercommunication techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/659 Internet protocol version 6 [IPv6] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/741 Routing in networks with a plurality of addressing schemes, e.g. with both IPv4 and IPv6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/251 between different IP versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/167 Adaptation for transition between two IP versions, e.g. between IPv4 and IPv6 translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses H04L61/2503
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 : using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 : Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 : Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/005 : Data network PoA devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 : Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/18 : Network protocols supporting networked applications, e.g. including control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

One example embodiment provides a method and system where LAN nodes in an IPv6 utility network are able to communicate with an IPv6 node through and IPv4 network. An access point associated with an IPv6 LAN in the utility network establishes an explicit or configured tunnel to an IPv6 node or and IPv6 network through and IPv4 network. In one preferred embodiment the IPv6 node is a back office system communicating through an IPv4 WAN with the IPv6 node in the utility network LAN using the access point in the LAN. The access point communicates with the back office system through the IPv4 WAN to establish a “6 in 4” tunnel through the IPv4 WAN. A tunnel broker may maintain the “6 in 4” tunnel through the IPv4 WAN between the access point and the back office system.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a plurality of utility nodes capable of receiving commodity utilization and status information, the utility nodes connected in an IPv6 utility network;

at least one access point connected to the utility network, the access point providing communication to at least one IPv4 wide area network;

at least one node capable of communicating using IPv6, the at least one node in communication with the access point through the IPv4 wide area network; and

wherein an IPv6 tunnel is established from the at least one access point to the at least one node through the IPv4 wide area network.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the IPv6 utility network is a wireless LAN network.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is a back office system.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network is established by the access point.

5. The PLC network system of claim 3, wherein the IPv6 tunnel through the wide area network is established by the access point.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network is established by the back office system.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the access point further includes a tunnel broker for maintaining the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 6, wherein the back office system capability further includes a tunnel broker for maintaining the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network.

9. The wireless network system of claim 1, wherein the at least one node is a second access point associated with a second IPv6 utility network.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 2, wherein the utility LAN may consist of one more wireless LANs with one or more access points in each wireless LAN.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 9, wherein the second access point further includes a tunnel broker for maintaining the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein there may me more than one wide area network connecting the access point of the utility network to the IPv6 node outside the utility network.

13. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the tunnel broker maintains IPv6 tunnel set-up protocols and configuration addresses, and exchanges the information with the access point and the back office system on either side of the IPv4 network

14. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the IPv4 wide area network connecting the IPv6 utility network to the intended node is one of the Internet, intranet, private wireless system, microwave radio, fiber-optic link.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the intended IPv6 node is the back office system of the utility network.

15. A method of communicating, comprising:

receiving the IPv6 packet sent from a utility node at an access point associated with the IPv6 LAN, wherein the sent IPv6 packet is received from a utility node in the IPv6 LAN and intended for an IPv6 node connected to an IPv4 network; and

forwarding the received IPv6 packet in an IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 network to the intended IPv6 node connected to the said IPv4 network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the intended node is a back office system.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

establishing the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network by the access point.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the intended node is a second access point associated with a second IPv6 utility network.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the IPv4 network connecting the IPv6 utility network to the intended node is one of the Internet, intranet, private wireless system, microwave radio, fiber-optic link.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

sending a packet from the intended IPv6 node in the IPv4 network to an IPv6 utility node on the IPv6 LAN, wherein the packet is sent to the access point associated with the IPv6 utility node using the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the tunnel-broker maintains IPv6 tunnel set-up protocols and configuration addresses, and exchanges the information with the access point and the back office system on either side of the IPv4 network.

29. The access point of claim 21, wherein packets received from the IPv6 tunnel in the IPv4 WAN addressed to an IPv6 utility node on the IPv6 LAN are transmitted on the IPv6 LAN.

22. An access point for communicating with utility nodes in an IPv6 utility LAN, comprising:

a IPv4 WAN interface;

a LAN radio controller and interface;

a network IDs IPv6 Protocol controller, the network IDs IPv6 Protocol controller including a tunnel broker for maintaining an IPv6 tunnel in an IPv4 network,

wherein IPv6 packets received from utility nodes and addressed to an IPv6 node reachable through the IPv4 WAN interface are transmitted through an IPv6 tunnel in the IPv4 WAN.

23. The access point of claim 22, wherein the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network is established by the access point through a tunnel broker connected to the said IPv4 network.

24. The access point of claim 22, wherein the IPv4 network connecting it to the intended node is the Internet.

25. The intended IPv6 node of claim 22, wherein the IPv6 tunnel through the IPv4 wide area network is established by the intended node through a tunnel broker connected to the said IPv4 network.

27. The tunnel broker of claim 23, wherein the tunnel broker can only process and forward IPv6 traffic received from IPv4 network from the intended IPv6 node whose IPv6 address and configuration information is pre-configured in its processing memory.

28. The tunnel broker of claim 25, wherein the tunnel broker can only process and forward traffic from the IPv4 network and from the node of the utility LAN network via its access point whose IPv6 address and configuration information is pre-configured in its processing memory.

30. The tunnel broker of claim 25 wherein the two tunnel brokers exchange addresses and configuration information for identification of incoming packets for further processing and forwarding to one of said access point of claim or said back office system.